Body rest for viewing television



Ap 1952 R. G. STEMPEL BODY REST FOR VIEWING TELEVISION Filed Sept. 1, 1950 INVENTOR BY fl x rrl Kw ATTORNEYJ Patented Apr. 22, 1952 UNITED STATES PATENT OFFICE 2,593,623 Bony BEST FOR VIEWING TELEVISION Rudolph G. Stempel, Greenwich, Conn. Applicationsepternber 1, 1950, Serial No; 182,798

4 Claims.

This invention relates to articles of furniture and has for an object the provision of'a wedgeshaped rest which will support the body of its user in either a sitting or reclined position to assure comfort and correct posture while viewing television.

Another object of my invention is to provide a device of the above-mentioned configuration which can also be used selectively as a leg or foot rest.

Still another object of the present invention is the provision of a body rest of the utility stated,

further modified by a folding leg movable from the plane of the bottom of the rest so as to position one surface of the wedge-shaped device horizontally to the floor whereby a seat or sitting stool is available.

A further advantage of my device is that it adapts itself to manufacture in the form of an attractive and durable piece of furniture capable of harmoniously blending with other household furnishings.

These and other objects and advantages will become apparent from the following description of the present invention illustrated in the accompanying drawing, in which:

Figure 1 is a perspective view of the frame of the device with its supporting leg extending downwardly to provide a stool, the top of the device being removed to disclose the interior construction thereof.

Figure 2 is a bottom view of the invention.

Figure 3 is a side elevation view of the invention.

Figure 4 is a sectional View taken on line 4-4 of Figure 1.

Similar reference characters represent similar parts in the several figures.

The extremely rapid expansion of the television industry has now made the home television receiving set an accepted item in the household of a great number of American families. The entrance of television into the American home has not been accompanied by the in troduction of appropriate household furnishings which would assist in making the viewing of this means of communication and entertainment both comfortable and healthful. 7 7

The use of television presents new problems which have not been inherent in past home entertainment. The visual attention required makes it awkward for a person to comfortably relax, such as is possible with radio entertainment, and often proper posture as well as comfort is sacrificed.

In view of the above I have devised an article 2 of utility furniture capable of satisfying all needs of the television viewer as will be apparent in a later description of the invention.

.The invention comprises a wedge-shaped frame, as shown in Figure 1, this frame being preferably of wood or other rigid material and including side panels I and I, and a back panel 2. Each side panel is right triangular in configuration with that edge of the panel extending along the back of the device being somewhat shorter in length than its bottom edge. A pair of horizontal braces 3 and] extend transversely of my television rest connecting the bottom portions of the side panels.

The above-mentioned horizontal braces provide a foundation for the bottom surface of the invention, and as will be seen in the drawing, 1

have provided a transverse leaf or leg 4, which a hinged angle bracket 5. The legs of angle bracket 5 are-attached to a top panel In described hereinafter and leaf 4, in any convenient manner, such as by screws. This pivotal attachvment of leg 4 permits that element in its inoperative position to lie in the plane of the bottom surface of this television rest.

When the leg is in this latter position the wedge-shaped article is available for unobstructed use as a foot stool or leg or body rest. On the other hand, should it be desired to transform the article into a small seat or stool, it is merely necessary to pivot leg 4 outwardly whereby in its extended position it will be substantially perpendicular to what I have termed the top surface of the article. This adjusted position is clearly shown in Fig. 3 of the drawing.

In order to retain leg 4 in its collapsed position I.prefer to include any well known type of retaining latch 8, such as the ball type shown in the drawing which is commonly employed in fur niture construction, which may be extended from the bottom edge of theleg and engage an appropriate receptacle 8? located in the adjacent face of the cross member 1. Also, suitable bearing tabs 9 of rubber or other material may be Upon the upper edges of the side and back panels a top panel H3 is placed and this panel forms the bearing surface which supports the users weight during the various uses of the invention. As seen in Figs. 8 and 4 the top and back panels Ill and 2 respectively, are covered on their outer surfaces by a relatively thick layer of cotton padding II. This provides a resilient surface for the invention and presents a well upholstered article for comfortably bearing the weight of the user, and likewise preventing the possible marring of other furniture, especially when used in bed by the television viewer. The final outer surface of this article consists of a pliable wear-resisting material l2, such as leather, leatherette or plastic. This outer covering presents a most durable and attractive household furnishing. A panel [3 of wood or a substitute product such as wood fiber board may be provided for added stinness.

The extreme versatility of this invention accessory cannot be over-emphasized. First of all, with the supporting leg or leaf sextended as shown in the drawing, the article can be placed in the vicinity of the television set, providing a comfortable stool upon which the viewer may relax while carrying out the frequent adjustment of the various control knobs of the set. Also, when my invention is adjusted as a stool it is ideal for use by small children since it is a comfortable size and also prevents undue wear on the more expensive household furniture When the supporting leg is in itscollapsed or inoperative position the bearing tabs of the bottom surface of the rest device will contact the floor and the top surface will act as a comfortable support for the head and shoulders of one desiring to view television while reclining on the fioor. This reclining position of enjoying television entertainment is extremely popular, especially with small children.

Since in order to properly view the television picture the line of vision should be substantially perpendicular to the surface of the screen, it is extremely difficult without some supporting means, to obtain a comfortable position; As a result children frequently strain their eyes by holding their heads in improper position with respect to the line of sight.

Along the same line, it will be seen that my invention may be also'used in bed both in a reclined and a sitting position. By standing the television rest on its back panel 2 the inclination of the supporting surface is raised, and'thereby supports the user in a proper sitting position. A rigid article, such as this, is far more efficient than the use of conventional bed pillows and is considerably more comfortable, especially when used by invalids.

Another important use of my invention is in the form of a foot rest. In order to completely relax many people prefer some sort of raised object upon which they may place their feet when sitting in a chair. Since the present invention is provided with a durable and easily cleaned covering the top panel may support the users feet in a comfortable position. By merely reversing my television rest, that is,'by placing'the back panel of the articl toward the chair being used, the inclined top surface extends downwardly in the direction of the extended legs of the viewer, allowing the person to assume a leg rest position for comfortable lounging.

From the foregoing description of the present invention and its versatility of use, it will be seen that I have provided for the first time a piece of household furniture which may be used in a number of ways to increase personal comfort while viewing television in the home.

While I have shown and described a preferred form of my invention, it will be understood that variations in details of form may be made without departure from the invention as defined in the appended claims.

1. An article of furniture comprising a rigid wedge-shaped frame having top, back and side panels, abottom section for said frame, a portion of said bottom comprising a foldable leg pivotally connected to the frame whereby said leg may be rotated from the plane of said bottom section to a position substantially perpendicular to said top panel.

2. An article of furniture comprising a rigid wedge-shaped frame having top, back and side panels, a bottom section for said frame, a portion of said bottom comprising a foldable leg pivotally connected to the frame whereby said leg may be rotated from the plane of said bottom section to a position substantially perpendicular to said top panel, resilient padding covering the outer surfaces of said top and back panels, and a cover of pliable material enclosing said padding.

3. An article of furniture comprising a rigid wedge-shaped frame having top, back and side panels, said side panels being right triangular in shape, a bottom section for said frame, a portion of said bottom comprising a foldable leg pivotally connected to the frame whereby said leg may be rotated from the plane of said bottom section to a position substantially perpendicular to said top panel, resilient padding covering the outer surfaces of said top and back panels, and a cover of pliable material enclosing said padding.

4. An article of furniture comprising a rigid wedge-shaped frame having top, back and side panels, said side panels being right triangular in shape, a bottom section for said frame, a portion of said bottom comprising a foldable leg pivotally connected to the frame whereby said leg may be rotated from the plane of said bottom section to a position substantially perpendicular to said top panel. Y

RUDOLPH G. STEMPEL.

REFERENCES CITED The following references are of record in the file of this patent: 

